THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS

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THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS
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OVERVIEW

• WHY DO WE CARE
• WHAT ARE GNOSTIC GOSPELS
• WHY WERE THEY WRITTEN
• BIBLICAL CANON PERSPECTIVE
• MODERN DAY EMPHASIS
• REASONS TO DOUBT
• CONCLUSIONS

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WHY DO WE CARE?

• TODAYS CHRISTIANITY IS BOMBARDED WITH HALF
  TRUTHS AND INUENDO
• JESUS WAS MARRIED TO MARY MAGDELAN
• MARY MAGDALENE WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PETER
• THE CHURCH (CATHOLIC) WAS SUBVERSIVE IN DEFINING
  THE CANON OF THE BIBLE
• PEOPLE QUESTION THEIR FAITH BASED ON INACCURACIES
  THEY BELIEVE

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WHAT ARE GNOSTIC GOSPELS

• gnostic collection of writings about the
  teachings of Jesus, written around the 2nd
  century (wikpedia.com)
• written in Coptic and are generally dated to the
  3rd and 4th centuries AD, though the Gospel of
  Thomas has ignited some debate, and scholars
  argue that it dates from 50 AD (Koester, HDS) to
  the late 2nd century AD (Miers). (wikpedia.com)
• Not the same a valued ancient writings

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GNOSTIC WRITINGS

• Gospel of Thomas, Secret Book of James
• Gospel of Mary, Acts of Peter, Acts of Thomas,
  Naassene Fragment, Basilides
• Dialogue of the Savior, Gospel of Savior
• Epiphanes, Marcion, Ptolemy, Heracleon
• Gospel of Phillip

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ORIGIN OF GNOSTIC GOSPELS

• gnostic gospels were named after the Greek word
  gnosis which means "knowledge" and is often used
  in Greek philosophy in a manner more consistent
  with the English Enlightenment. Included the idea
  of hidden belief.
• Gnostic philosophy and religious movements began
  in pre-Christian times. During this time, ideas
  from Greek Gnosticism intermingled with Early
  Christianity.
• The name "Christian gnostics" came to represent a
  segment of the Early Christian community who
  believed that salvation lay not in merely
  worshipping Christ, but in psychic or pneumatic
  souls learning to free themselves from the
  material world via the revelation (wikpedia.com)
• popularity of Gnosticism began to decline by the
  end of the third century and lay largely dormant
  until the recent discovery of Gnostic texts in
  Egypt in 1945.

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WHY WERE THEY WRITTEN

• SUPPORT A BELIEF? UNDERMINE A CAUSE?
• Gnostic belief? salvation by knowledge
• the answers to spiritual questions are to be
  found within not without.2 Furthermore, the
  gnostic path does not require the intermediation
  of a church for salvation (wikpedia.com)
• The Gnostic Jesus descended from the spiritual
  realm to show the way for the rest of humanity,
  not to die as an atonement for sin, but to make
  available information necessary for
  self-perfection. (leaderu.com)
• Church considered heretical
• Blurred religious truth.
• Condemned by Iraneaus (177)/Tertullian(193)

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NAG HAMMADI LIBRARY

• 1945 two farmers discover leather codices of 52
  books, mostly gnostic
• Written in coptic (late Egyptian language)
• Dated to 3rd or 4th century
• First reference to books published 1948
• OTHER SOURCES
• Akhmim Codex (Berlin Codex) discovered July 1896
  and translated completely in 1950s.
• Contained Gospel of Mary (Magdala)
• Gospel of Judas 1970s
• Mentioned by Irenaeus 2nd century

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BIBLICAL CANNON

• 50-125 NT Scriptures written
• 140 Marcion issues heretical canon/beliefs
• consisted of only eleven books, an abridged and
  mutilated Gospel of Luke, and ten of Pauls
  epistles. He put Galatians first in order, and
  called Ephesians the Epistle to the Laodicaeans.
• Church adopts 4 gospels and letter of Paul
• 170 Muratorian Canon
• 367earliest list NT, in exact number/order we
  have written by Athanasius
• Synod of Hippo 393, Council of Carthage 397

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Church Knowledge of Gnostic Gospels

• The one incontrovertible testimonium to Gos.
  Thom. is found in Hippolytus of Rome (Haer.
  5.7.20). Writing between the years 222-235 C.E.,
  Hippolytus quoes a variant of saying 4 expressly
  stated to be taken from a text entitled Gos. Thom
  
• Irenaeus mentions a Gospel of Judas in his
  anti-Gnostic work Adversus Haereses (Against
  Heresies), written in about 180.
• it is known from early quotations, especially
  from a publicly circulated letter of Serapion,
  Bishop of Antioch in 190 - 203, who had found
  upon examining it that "most of it belonged to
  the right teaching of the Saviour," but that some
  parts might encourage its hearers to fall into
  the Docetist heresy. Serapion's rebuttal of the
  Gospel of Peter is lost, but it is mentioned by
  Eusebius (wikpedia.com Gospel of Peter)

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CANONICAL CRITERIA

• Apostolic Origin - attributed to and/or based on
  the preaching/teaching of the first-generation
  apostles (or their closest companions).
• Universal Acceptance - acknowledged by all major
  Christian communities in the Mediterranean world
  (by the end of the fourth century).
• Liturgical Use - read publicly along with the OT
  when early Christians gathered for the Lord's
  Supper (their weekly worship services).
• Consistent Message - containing theological ideas
  compatible with other accepted Christian writings
  (incl. the divinity and humanity Jesus).
  (catholicresources.org)

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MODERN DAY APPROACH

• DaVinci Code (Gospel of Mary/Phillip)
• Supports Jesus marriage to Mary Magdalene
• Questions his divinity
• Gospel of Judas
• Portrays Judas as obedient not traitor
• Shows Christ favoring Judas above others
• Stoned by other disciples

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MODERN DAY CONCERN

• Question Christs Divinity
• Make religion a feel good hobby
• Question Church integrity/motives
• Generate distrust
• Compromise authority
• Blur the truth and lose the truth
• Look/hear something wrong long enough and it
  begins to look/sound right.

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The Gospel of Mary

• 1896 discovery 5th century codex
• written mid 2nd 3rd century
• Starts in middle of scene due to missing pgs.
• Primary thought is Mary of Magdala however, this
  is not conclusive and some think his Mother.
• Prompted Holy Blood, Holy Grail, Jesus the Man,
  DaVinci Code

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GOSPEL OF MARY

• Modern focus is on role of Mary vs Peter
• Chap. 9 1) When Mary had said this, she fell
  silent, since it was to this point that the
  Savior had spoken with her. 2) But Andrew
  answered and said to the brethren, Say what you
  wish to say about what she has said. I at least
  do not believe that the Savior said this. For
  certainly these teachings are strange ideas.3)
  Peter answered and spoke concerning these same
  things.4) He questioned them about the Savior
  Did He really speak privately with a woman and
  not openly to us? Are we to turn about and all
  listen to her? Did He prefer her to us?5) Then
  Mary wept and said to Peter, My brother Peter,
  what do you think? Do you think that I have
  thought this up myself in my heart, or that I am
  lying about the Savior?6) Levi answered and said
  to Peter, Peter you have always been hot
  tempered.7) Now I see you contending against the
  woman like the adversaries.8) But if the Savior
  made her worthy, who are you indeed to reject
  her? Surely the Savior knows her very well.9)
  That is why He loved her more than us. Rather let
  us be ashamed and put on the perfect Man, and
  separate as He commanded us and preach the
  gospel, not laying down any other rule or other
  law beyond what the Savior said.

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Gospel of Mary

• BUT OTHER SECTIONS ARE BIZARRE
• Chap 8 18) When the soul had overcome the third
  power, it went upwards and saw the fourth power,
  which took seven forms.19) The first form is
  darkness, the second desire, the third ignorance,
  the fourth is the excitement of death, the fifth
  is the kingdom of the flesh, the sixth is the
  foolish wisdom of flesh, the seventh is the
  wrathful wisdom. These are the seven powers of
  wrath.20) They asked the soul, Whence do you come
  slayer of men, or where are you going, conqueror
  of space?21) The soul answered and said, What
  binds me has been slain, and what turns me about
  has been overcome,22) and my desire has been
  ended, and ignorance has died.23) In a aeon I was
  released from a world, and in a Type from a type,
  and from the fetter of oblivion which is
  transient.24) From this time on will I attain to
  the rest of the time, of the season, of the aeon,
  in silence.
• DOES NOT RESEMBLE GOSPELS AS WE KNOW

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Gospel of Phillip

• Found in Nag Hammadi Library
• Dated late 2nd to 3rd century
• Primary source for Jesus being married to Mary
  Magdalene
• Contains the kiss
• No narrative, only sayings

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The Gospel of Phillip

• Those who say that the Lord died first and (then)
  rose up are in error, for he rose up first and
  (then) died. If one does not first attain the
  resurrection, he will not die. As God lives, he
  would ....
• It is through water and fire that the whole place
  is purified - the visible by the visible, the
  hidden by the hidden. There are some things
  hidden through those visible. There is water in
  water, there is fire in chrism.
• The eucharist is Jesus. For he is called in
  Syriac "Pharisatha," which is "the one who is
  spread out," for Jesus came to crucify the world.
  
• Mary Magdalene. ... loved her more than all the
  disciples, and used to kiss her often on her()
  The rest of the disciples .... They said to him
  "Why do you love her more than all of us?"

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Gospel of Thomas

• Two versions, Greek and coptic.
• Discovered late 1800s and Nag Hammadi
• Dated mid 50-140
• No narrative only 114 sayings
• Preamble gives gnostic flavor
• secret sayings
• Many sayings very similar to gospels
• Some sayings very strange

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Gospel of Thomas

• P. These are the secret sayings which the living
  Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote
  down.
• 1) And He said, "Whoever finds the interpretation
  of these sayings will not experience death."
• 9) Jesus said, "Now the sower went out, took a
  handful (of seeds), and scattered them. Some fell
  on the road the birds came and gathered them up.
  
• 114) Simon Peter said to Him, "Let Mary leave us,
  for women are not worthy of Life." Jesus said, "I
  myself shall lead her in order to make her male,
  so that she too may become a living spirit
  resembling you males. For every woman who will
  make herself male will enter the Kingdom of
  Heaven."

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WHY DOUBT THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS

• Gnostic texts do not offer a recounting of the
  life, teachings, death, and resurrection of
  Jesus. (leaderu.com)
• Present bizarre statements by Christ
• Present bizarre scenes/events
• Titles imply important authors
• Two Biblical gospels were by unknowns.
• Scholars put words into translations that do
  not exist.
• Gospel of Phillip and the kiss
• Dates of writings occur well after the events
• Nag Hammadi date A.D. 350-400. The original
  writings older, but not prior to second century
  A. D.
• consensus of most scholars - they appeared after
  the New Testament completed. (leaderu.com)

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CONCLUSIONS

• Gnosticism is real and gnostic belief is real
• Gnosticism/belief is contrary to Church teaching
  and written scripture
• Gnosticism does not reject Jesus, it envelops and
  blurs teaching
• Gnostic gospels have major flaws and the Church
  knew and addressed these
• The Biblical Canon was well thought out